Bangsawan 2005 - A Post Mortem

Bangsawan. A spectacle of light and sound, all couched in the most delectable archaic Malay. With love, murder, intrigue and mystery all converging on the stage that night, it was a night of much tears, both on- and offstage. Eventually, Sapphire prevailed, with 6 victories out of 10 guranteeing its spot in Bangsawan folklore. Here we present a birds' eye view of all four participating houses:

TOPAZ: The judges had it pat down: "Senario". It was so funny the judges were laughing themselves hoarse as observed from Veritas's prime time vantage point in front. Joko, who went on to snag Best Supporting Actor, scouts for a princess to prove his father wrong, in the process rebuffing the advances of another smitten princess in purple. What began as a simple transit into adulthood transforms into a menagerie of trees dancing a la Saturday Night Fever, one softie male fairy (who duly received the lion's share of cheers), and a long and untiring chain of revenge that ends with the princess in purple killing everyone. Immortal line, Joko, momentarily coming back to life after being killed in the end: "Saya mati dalam iman."

SAPPHIRE: A reworking of the forbidden love theme, Amira Anis (the Princess of Malacca) falls in love with Lopez de Sequiera, predictably incurring the wrath of her father. Her courtiers Mawar and Melur free de Sequiera from the dungeons at night, who ends up leading the Portugese invasion of the royal palace. Must see: Amira leaping out from her mother's embrace to kill de Sequiera, her hitherto lover, as he prepares to kill the King. Equally gripping is the scene where the Sultan (Firdaus) jatuhkan tulah on the traitor to the throne - notice he cleverly does not mention his daughter's name - and Mawar and Melur immediately turn to stone. Perfectly scripted and beautifully crafted, it is an epic, and I do not mince my words. They deserve to win.